3D printer

Abstract

The invention provides a 3D printer. The 3D printer comprises a first printing head and a second printing head; the first supporting frame is used for mounting the first printing head and the second printing head; the second supporting frame is used for being connected with the first supporting frame in a pivoted mode, the rotating mechanism is used for connecting the first supporting frame and the second supporting frame, and the rotating mechanism is configured to be capable of rotating around a rotating axis. The first printing head is located at a working position at the first position and the second printing head is located at the working position at the second position, so that the first supporting frame can rotate relative to the second supporting frame around the rotating axis between a first position and a second position; the fastening mechanism is installed between the first supporting frame and the second supporting frame and used for providing locking force for the first supporting frame at the first position or the second position so as to keep the first supporting frame at the first position or the second position. In this way, interference to the workpiece in the printing process is avoided.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to PCT / CN2025 / 072614 filed on January 15, 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to a 3D printer. Background Art

[0004] 3D printer, also known as three-dimensional printer, is a machine that uses cumulative manufacturing technology, that is, rapid prototyping technology. The molten consumables are extruded from the end of the print head, and the desired shape is printed layer by layer through the movement of the print head on the moving axis.

[0005] Current 3D printers usually have one print head, which can only print one type of consumable at a time. When you need to print different consumables on the same layer (especially when printing workpieces with supports, workpieces with multiple colors, or workpieces with internal supports that require changing the extrusion volume), you need to eject the current consumable, then feed in the new consumable and flush it. The entire switching process takes a long time and results in a lot of waste of material.

[0006] In order to solve this problem, the 3D printer in the related art is provided with a dual print head or a multi-print head. However, the dual print head or the multi-print head with a fixed height can easily cause the non-working print head to scrape the workpiece. Summary of the invention

[0007] The disclosed embodiments provide a 3D printer to alleviate, mitigate or eliminate the situation where a dual print head scratches a workpiece surface during the printing process.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a 3D printer is provided, comprising: a first print head and a second print head; a first support frame, the first support frame being used for mounting the first print head and the second print head; a second support frame being used for being pivotally connected to the first support frame, a rotating mechanism being used for connecting the first support frame and the second support frame, wherein the rotating mechanism is configured to be able to rotate around a rotation axis to allow the first support frame to rotate between a first position and a second position relative to the second support frame around the rotation axis, wherein the first print head is in a working position at the first position and the second print head is in a working position at the second position; and a fastening mechanism being installed between the first support frame and the second support frame, and being used for providing a locking force to the first support frame at the first position or the second position to keep the first support frame in the first position or the second position.

[0009] In a possible embodiment, the fastening mechanism provides at least one elastic force peak between the first position and the second position.

[0010] In a possible embodiment, the fastening mechanism includes an elastic member, which includes a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other, the first end is connected to the second support frame, and the second end is connected to the first support frame, wherein when the first support frame rotates between a first position and a second position relative to the second support frame around a rotation axis, the first end or the second end can be deformed, wherein there is at least one position between the first position and the second position such that the deformation degree of the elastic member is greater than that of the first position and the second position.

[0011] In a possible embodiment, the rotation axis is located above the elastic member and the lower ends of the nozzles of the first print head and the second print head.

[0012] In a possible embodiment, at this position, the distance between the midpoint of the line connecting the first end and the second end and the rotation axis is d1, and the distance between the lower end of the nozzle of the first print head or the second print head and the rotation axis is d2, wherein the ratio of d1 to d2 is greater than 0.4.

[0013] In a possible embodiment, the second supporting frame is provided with a first sliding groove, the first sliding groove has a first depth, and the first depth can be used to accommodate the main body of the elastic member.

[0014] In a possible embodiment, the elastic member is a torsion spring or a leaf spring, wherein at the first position or the second position, projections of the first end, the second end and the rotation axis in the rotation plane where the second support frame is located are not arranged collinearly.

[0015] In a possible embodiment, the fastening mechanism includes: a cam member, used to connect to one of the first support frame and the second support frame; a movable component, including: at least one roller, used to movably cooperate with the edge of the cam member, wherein the roller is connected to the other of the first support frame and the second support frame; and an elastic element, which provides an elastic force when at least one roller movably cooperates with the edge of the cam member.

[0016] In a possible embodiment, at least one roller is rollably and slidably matched with an edge of the cam member.

[0017] In a possible embodiment, at least one roller includes a first roller and a second roller, and the movable component also includes: a connecting member, the connecting member having a first arm and a second arm, respectively used to connect the first roller and the second roller, and the first arm and the second arm are configured to be able to rotate around the central axis of the connecting member.

[0018] In one possible embodiment, the edge of the cam member includes a first concave section, a second concave section, a third concave section, a first convex section located between the first concave section and the second concave section, and a second convex section located between the second concave section and the third concave section, wherein at the first position the second roller is engaged at the third concave section, and at the second position the first roller is engaged at the first concave section.

[0019] In a possible embodiment, the 3D printer also includes: a first extrusion wheel and a second extrusion wheel, which are arranged on one of the first support frame or the second support frame and are used in conjunction with the first print head and the second print head respectively; and a motor, which is arranged in a middle area of ​​the other of the first support frame or the second support frame, and the output gear of the motor is transmission-connected to the first extrusion wheel at a first position, and the output gear of the motor is transmission-connected to the second extrusion wheel at a second position.

[0020] In a possible embodiment, the 3D printer also includes: a first blocking member and a second blocking member, the first blocking member and the second blocking member are connected to the second support frame, the first blocking member contacts the first print head at the second position to block the printing material in the first print head from flowing out of the first print head, and the second blocking member contacts the second print head at the first position to block the printing material in the second print head from flowing out of the second print head.

[0021] In a possible embodiment, the first support frame is provided with a first damping mechanism, and the second support frame is provided with a second damping mechanism cooperating with the first damping mechanism, and the first damping mechanism and the second damping mechanism decelerate the first support frame during the rotation of the first support frame relative to the second support frame between a first position and a second position around the rotation axis.

[0022] In a possible embodiment, the cooperation between the first damping mechanism and the second damping mechanism is the cooperation between a sector gear or a rack and a gear damper, a shaft damper or a ball spring damper.

[0023] In a possible embodiment, at the first position or the second position, there is a height difference h1 between the first print head and the second print head, and h1 is between 10 mm and 50 mm.

[0024] In a possible embodiment, the second support frame is provided with a second slide groove, and the 3D printer also includes a heat dissipation assembly, which includes: a heat dissipation frame, which defines a heat dissipation channel, and the heat dissipation channel is bifurcated near the first print head and the second print head to lead to the first print head and the second print head respectively; a fan, which is arranged in the heat dissipation frame and is used to generate cooling air and pass the cooling air into the heat dissipation channel when the fan rotates; a rotating assembly, which includes: a shielding member, which is arranged in the heat dissipation channel, and the shielding member is configured to be able to rotate or slide around one end thereof to block the heat dissipation channel from passing into any one of the bifurcated partial channels of the first print head and the second print head; a rocker, one end of the rocker is pivotally and slidably connected to the second slide groove, and the other end of the rocker is fixedly connected to the end of the shielding member, and is used to drive the shielding member to rotate around the end when the first support frame rotates between the first position and the second position around the rotation axis relative to the second support frame.

[0025] In a possible embodiment, the 3D printer is provided with abutment portions in contact with the first support frame on both sides of the X-axis, and is used for pushing the first support frame to switch between the first position or the second position when the first print head or the second print head moves to both sides; or, a matching plane or a V-shaped groove is provided between the first support frame and the second support frame at the first position or the second position, and the matching plane or the V-shaped groove is a metal surface; or, magnets are correspondingly provided between the second support frame and the first support frame, and the attraction force of the magnets at the first position or the second position is greater than 20N, or, one group of the magnets is provided on the lower side of the second support frame or the side of the hot end, and the other one of the magnets is provided on the lower side of the second support frame or the side of the hot end. One group is connected to the first support frame, or the spacing distance between the magnets at the first position or the second position is 1mm-20mm; or the first print head or the second print head at least includes a nozzle, a hot end assembly and an extrusion mechanism, two groups of cutters are arranged between the hot end assembly and the extrusion mechanism, and rods connected to the cutters are also provided, the rods are respectively arranged on the outside of the hot end assembly, and one or more of the output shaft or matching plane of the elastic member or the motor are arranged between the first print head and the second print head; or the first print head or the second print head moves in the XZ plane or the XY plane, and the abutment member and the abutment portion of the cutter have corresponding different Z-axis or Y-axis positions when abutting.

[0026] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the 3D printer uses a rotating mechanism that can rotate around a rotation axis, so that the two print heads can swing in the width direction of the printer to enter their corresponding working positions, which is conducive to avoiding interference with the workpiece during printing, thereby reducing the possibility of the two print heads scratching the surface of the workpiece. In addition, using the 3D printer of some embodiments of the present disclosure to switch the print head can provide the characteristics of simple structure, low cost, small size, and high layout freedom.

[0027] These and other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings represent the same or similar parts or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings only depict some embodiments disclosed in the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present application.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 2 An exploded view of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 A front view of a print head assembly in a 3D printer;

[0032] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 A side view of a print head assembly in a 3D printer;

[0033] Figure 5 Shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the working process of the print head assembly in FIG.

[0034] Figure 6 An exploded view of a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Figure 7 Shows Figure 6 A front view of a print head assembly in a 3D printer;

[0036] Figure 8 Shows Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of a movable component in a print head assembly;

[0037] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 8 A top view of the active components in FIG.

[0038] Fig.10 Shows Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the working process of the print head assembly in FIG.

[0039] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a heat dissipation assembly of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0040] Fig.12A front view of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the Fig.11 The heat sink assembly is shown.

[0041] Description of reference numerals:

[0042] 500-3D printer; 510-printing platform; 520-printing head assembly; 530-movement mechanism; 540-material tray; 550-printing material; 560-extrusion wheel;

[0043] 100, 200-3D printer; 112-first print head, 114-second print head;

[0044] 120 - first supporting frame, 140 - second supporting frame, 1401 - first sliding slot, 1402 - second sliding slot;

[0045] 101-rotating mechanism, 1011-rotating shaft, 1012-mounting portion of the rotating shaft, 1013-bearing;

[0046] 103-elastic member, 1031-first end, 1032-second end;

[0047] 113 - cam member, 1131 - first concave section, 1132 - second concave section, 1133 - third concave section, 1134 - first convex section, 1135 - second convex section;

[0048] 115-movable component, 1151-first roller, 1152-second roller, 1153-elastic element, 1154-connecting piece, 1155-first arm, 1156-second arm;

[0049] 104-first extrusion wheel, 106-motor, 1061-output gear of the motor;

[0050] 107 - first damping mechanism, 108 - second damping mechanism; 110 - first blocking member, 111 - second blocking member;

[0051] 109-heat dissipation assembly, 1091-heat dissipation frame, 1092-fan, 1093-shielding piece, 1094-rocker, 1095-heat dissipation channel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In the following, only some exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the drawings and descriptions are considered to be exemplary and non-restrictive in nature.

[0053] Current 3D printers use dual or multi-print heads to solve the problem that a single print head can only print one type of consumable at a time. However, in order to enable the two print heads to move relative to each other in the height direction to prevent the non-working print head from scratching the workpiece, it is usually necessary to add additional components that are larger in size and heavier in weight.

[0054] In view of the above problems, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a 3D printer. The embodiment of the present disclosure is described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be pointed out that the terms used in the implementation method of the present disclosure are only used to explain the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0055] This embodiment provides a 3D printer, which is also called a three-dimensional printer, which constructs a three-dimensional object by printing layer by layer. The 3D printer includes a print head and a printing platform. The print head is provided with a nozzle. The print head is configured to be movable relative to the printing platform. The printing platform defines a printing area. The printing material ejected from the nozzle of the print head is deposited layer by layer on the printing area defined by the printing platform, thereby printing a three-dimensional object.

[0056] Figure 1 FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a 3D printer 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the 3D printer 500 includes a printing platform (or heated bed) 510, a print head assembly 520 movable relative to the printing platform 510, and a motion mechanism 530. The motion mechanism 530 is connected to the print head assembly 520 in a transmission manner to drive the print head assembly 520 to move relative to the printing platform 510.

[0057] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the motion mechanism 530 is used to drive the print head assembly 520 to move. However, in other embodiments, the motion mechanism 530 may also be connected to the printing platform 510 in a transmission manner to drive the printing platform 510 to move. In some embodiments not shown, the 3D printer may include two motion mechanisms 530, which are respectively used to drive the printing platform 510 and the print head assembly 520 to move, so as to complete the printing of the 3D model.

[0058] The 3D printer 500 may further include at least one processor (not shown). The at least one processor is used to control a motor (not shown) to drive the motion mechanism 530 based on the control code generated by the slicing software, thereby driving the print head assembly 520 to move relative to the printing platform 510. The at least one processor may also control another motor (not shown) to drive the extrusion wheel 560 to feed the printing material 550 on the material tray 540 into the print head assembly 520. During the movement of the print head assembly 520 driven by the motion mechanism 530, the printing material is extruded from the print head assembly 520 and deposited on the printing platform 510, thereby printing the 3D model layer by layer.

[0059] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the extrusion wheel 560 can be arranged local to or close to the printhead assembly 520 (referred to as a "near-end feed"), while in some embodiments, the extrusion wheel 560 can be arranged away from the printhead assembly 520 (referred to as a "distal-end feed"). The present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0060] Figure 2 An exploded view of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 A front view of a print head assembly in a 3D printer; Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 A side view of a print head assembly in a 3D printer; Figure 5 Shows Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the working process of the print head assembly.

[0061] Reference Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the 3D printer may specifically include a first print head 112, a first print head 114, a first support frame 120, a second support frame 140 and a rotating mechanism 101. The first support frame 120 is used to mount the first print head 112 and the second print head 114, and the second support frame 140 is used to be pivotally connected to the first support frame. In some embodiments, each of the first print head 112 and the second print head 114 includes at least a printing nozzle. In other embodiments, each of the first print head 112 and the second print head 114 may also include or exclude a part or all of an extrusion mechanism and a cutter assembly. The cutter assembly can be used to cut off the printing material of the 3D printer.

[0062] The rotating mechanism 101 is used to connect the first support frame 120 and the second support frame 140, wherein the rotating mechanism 101 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis to allow the first support frame 120 to rotate relative to the second support frame 140 around the rotation axis between a first position and a second position, wherein the first print head 112 is in a working position at the first position and the second print head 114 is in a working position at the second position. In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the rotating mechanism 101 may include a rotating shaft 1011 , a mounting portion 1012 of the rotating shaft, and a bearing 1013 .

[0063] The fastening mechanism is installed between the first supporting frame 120 and the second supporting frame 140, and is used to provide a locking force for the first supporting frame 120 at the first position or the second position to keep the first supporting frame 120 at the first position or the second position.

[0064] For the convenience of description, in this application, the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are defined as the X-axis and Y-axis are located in the horizontal plane and are perpendicular to each other, and the Z-axis is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Specifically, in a coordinate system based on the 3D printer, the direction of the width of the 3D printer is defined as the X-axis, the direction of the length of the 3D printer is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the longitudinal axis direction of the print head is defined as the Z-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction.

[0065] An exemplary working process of the 3D printer provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is as follows: when the print head needs to be switched, the rotating mechanism 101 rotates around the rotation axis, and the first support frame 120 rotates between the first position and the second position around the rotation axis relative to the second support frame 140, so that the first support frame 120 drives the first print head 112 or the second print head 114 installed thereon to swing in the width direction of the printer (i.e., the X direction) and enter its corresponding working position, and the fastening mechanism provides a locking force to keep the first support frame 120 in the corresponding first or second position, so that the first print head 112 and the second print head 114 can remain stable in their respective working positions, thereby realizing a bistable print head assembly.

[0066] In summary, the 3D printer provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure uses a rotating mechanism that can rotate around a rotating axis, so that the two print heads can swing in the width direction of the printer to enter their corresponding working positions, which is conducive to avoiding interference with the workpiece during printing, thereby reducing the possibility of the two print heads scratching the surface of the workpiece. It can be seen that when the 3D printer of this embodiment is used to switch the print head, it has the characteristics of simple structure, low cost, small size, and high layout freedom.

[0067] In some embodiments, the fastening mechanism provides at least one peak elastic force between a first position and a second position.

[0068] Continuing to refer to Figures 2 to 5 , the fastening mechanism includes an elastic member 103. In some embodiments, the elastic member 103 may be structures such as a torsion spring, a reed, a spring, and an elastic cord. The elastic member 103 includes a first end 1031 and a second end 1032 which are oppositely arranged. The first end 1031 is connected to the second support frame 140, and the second end 1032 is connected to the first support frame 120. When the first support frame 120 rotates between a first position and a second position relative to the second support frame 140 about a rotation axis, the first end 1031 or the second end 1032 can be deformed. Among them, between the first position and the second position, there is at least one position such that the deformation degree of the elastic member 103 is greater than that at the first position and the second position.

[0069] In some embodiments, the rotation axis is located above the lower ends of the nozzles of the elastic member, the first print head, and the second print head respectively.

[0070] In some embodiments, at this one position, the distance between the midpoint of the line connecting the first end and the second end and the rotation axis is d1, and the distance between the lower end of the nozzle of the first print head or the second print head and the rotation axis is d2. Among them, the ratio of d1 to d2 is greater than 0.4. Through such a setting, the elastic member is arranged relatively close to the nozzle, so that the elastic member has a longer acting arm on the positioning position, so that the positioning of the support frame is more reliable, and the force required to switch the print head is reduced.

[0071] In Figure 2 the illustrated embodiment, the second support frame 140 is provided with a first chute 1401, and the first chute 1401 has a first depth, and the first depth can be used to accommodate the main body portion of the elastic member 103. In some embodiments, the shape of the first chute 1401 is configured such that the main body portion of the elastic member 103 can be accommodated in the first chute without interference with other components / parts. In the example as Figures 2 to 5 illustrated, the shape of the first chute 1401 can be, for example, substantially a "Ji" shape to accommodate the elastic member 103. The first chute 1401 has a first depth that can be used to accommodate the main body portion of the elastic member 103, thereby avoiding the elastic member occupying the length (Y-direction) space, so that the cutter assembly can be conveniently arranged and the relatively large extrusion wheel and damping mechanism can be more conveniently arranged.

[0072] In some embodiments, the elastic member 103 is a torsion spring or a leaf spring, wherein at the first position or the second position, the projections of the first end, the second end and the rotation axis in the rotation plane where the second support frame is located are not collinearly arranged. By not collinearly arranging, the vertical space of the printer can be saved and the layout can be more compact.

[0073] Continue to refer Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the printer 100 further includes a first blocking member 110 and a second blocking member 111, and the first blocking member 110 and the second blocking member 111 are connected to the second support frame 140. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the connection may be a fixed connection or a connection mode that allows movement or swinging within a certain small range. By allowing the blocking member to move within a small range, the probability of the blocking member being stuck or hit by the nozzle can be reduced. The first blocking member 110 contacts the first print head 112 at the second position to block the printing material in the first print head 112 from flowing out of the first print head 112, and the second blocking member 111 contacts the second print head 114 at the first position to block the printing material in the second print head 114 from flowing out of the second print head 114. In some embodiments, in the path direction of the nozzle of the first print head 112 or the second print head 114 switching from the working position to the nozzle blocking position, the distance between the corresponding first blocking member 110 or the second blocking member 111 and the nozzle changes from large to small.

[0074] In addition, Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the printer 100 further includes a first extrusion wheel 104 and a second extrusion wheel (not shown in the figure), which are arranged on the first support frame 120 and are used in conjunction with the first print head 112 and the second print head 114 respectively; and a motor 106, which is arranged in the middle area of ​​the second support frame 140, and the output gear 1061 of the motor is connected to the first extrusion wheel 104 at a first position, and the output gear 1061 of the motor is connected to the second extrusion wheel at a second position. In some embodiments, the motor 106 is used to feed the printing material to the print head assembly. In an embodiment of the present application, the first print head and the second print head share a motor for feeding, and such an arrangement further reduces the cost and saves the space occupied by the printer. In some embodiments, the extrusion wheel can have 2 groups of extrusion wheels, that is, a total of 3 or 4 extrusion wheels. The motor is fixed on the second support frame 140 at the rear side. The output gear 1061 of the motor and the first support frame 120 are respectively meshed with one of the two gears on the first support frame 120 at the first position and the second position. Two groups of extrusion wheels are also provided on the first support frame 120. One or two extrusion wheels cooperating with the first support frame are provided on the second support frame 140, which respectively mesh with the wires on the left and right sides when switching to the first position and the second position. It can be understood that the extrusion wheel installed on the first support frame 120 will swing with the first support frame 120 relative to the first support frame 140, and the extrusion wheel installed on the second support frame 140 will remain stationary relative to the second support frame 140, so that the extrusion wheels can cooperate with each other to mesh and clamp the printing material. In some embodiments, the extrusion wheel can have two groups of extrusion wheels, that is, a total of four extrusion wheels. The motor is fixed on the second support frame 140 on the rear side, and the output gear 1061 of the motor and the first support frame 120 are respectively meshed with one of the two gears on the first support frame 120 at the first position and the second position. There are also 2 groups of 4 extrusion wheels on the first support frame 120, of which 2 extrusion wheels are respectively connected with the two gears on the first support frame 120, and the remaining 2 extrusion wheels cooperate with the extrusion wheels connected with the transmission under the action of elastic force, so as to clamp the wires on the left and right sides.

[0075] Continue to refer Figure 2 and Figure 3 And further reference Fig.12 , Fig.12A front view of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The first support frame 120 is provided with a first damping mechanism 107, and the second support frame 140 is provided with a second damping mechanism 108 that cooperates with the first damping mechanism 107. The first damping mechanism 107 and the second damping mechanism 108 decelerate the first support frame 120 during the rotation of the first support frame 120 relative to the second support frame 140 around the rotation axis between the first position and the second position. The first damping mechanism 107 and the second damping mechanism 108 serve as deceleration mechanisms during the rotation of the first support frame 120 relative to the second support frame 140, play a role in preventing collisions, and at the same time avoid the collision sound caused by the rapid operation of the printer, thereby increasing the service life of the tool head.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first damping mechanism 107 and the second damping mechanism 108 are combined by a sector gear or a rack and a gear damper, a shaft damper or a ball spring damper.

[0077] exist Fig.12 In the example shown, the first damping mechanism 107 and the second damping mechanism 108 are connected by meshing.

[0078] See also Figure 5 Combined with Figure 2 , Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the working process of the print head assembly of the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 The fastening mechanism shown in the figure includes the elastic member 103 as an example for explanation.

[0079] exist Figure 5 In the leftmost view (a), the first support frame 120 is driven by the rotating mechanism to rotate relative to the second support frame 140 toward the second position, so that the first support frame 120 is in the second position, the first print head 112 is in contact with the first blocking member 110, the second print head 114 is in the working position, and the output gear 1061 of the motor is in transmission connection with the second extrusion wheel, so that the printing material is extruded from the nozzle of the second print head 114. Figure 5 In the middle view (b), the first support frame 120 is in a middle position between the first position and the second position, and the first print head 112 and the second print head 114 are not in the working position. Figure 5 In the rightmost view (c), the first support frame 120 is driven by the rotating mechanism to rotate toward the first position relative to the second support frame 140, so that the first support frame 120 is in the first position, the second print head 114 is in contact with the second blocking member 111, the first print head 112 is in the working position, and the output gear 1061 of the motor is transmission-connected to the first extrusion wheel 104, so that the printing material is extruded from the nozzle of the first print head 112.

[0080] In such Figure 5 In the example shown, at the first position or the second position, along the Z-axis direction, there is a height difference h1 between 10 mm and 50 mm between the first print head 112 and the second print head 114. Herein, the direction of the height difference is parallel to the vertical direction of the 3D printer 500. Setting the height difference range in this way can prevent the nozzle in the non-working state from interfering with or colliding with the model, and will not make the rotation angle of the print head too large, thereby causing the overall size of the tool head to become too large. In other words, the setting of the height difference h1 prevents the print head that is not in the working position from colliding with the printing layer. A suitable height difference h1 means that the rotation angle will not be too large, which helps to reduce the size of the print head and prevent the wire material from being excessively bent after switching, affecting its performance.

[0081] Figure 6 An exploded view of a 3D printer according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 7 Shows Figure 6 A front view of a print head assembly in a 3D printer; Figure 8 Shows Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of a movable component in a print head assembly; Fig. 9 Shows Figure 8 A top view of the active components in FIG. Fig.10 Shows Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the working process of the print head assembly in FIG. Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a heat dissipation assembly of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0082] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 In addition to using elastic members such as torsion springs, the fastening mechanism may also include other forms. The fastening mechanism also includes a cam member 113, which is used to connect to one of the first support frame 120 and the second support frame 140. In some embodiments, the cam member 113 may also be integrally formed with the first support frame 120 or the second support frame 140.

[0083] The fastening mechanism further includes a movable assembly 115, which includes at least one roller and an elastic element 1153. At least one roller is used to flexibly cooperate with the edge of the cam member 113, and the roller is connected to one of the first support frame 120 and the second support frame 140, and the cam member 113 is used to connect to the other of the first support frame 120 and the second support frame 140. In some embodiments, the roller is connected to the first support frame 120, and the cam member 113 is connected to the second support frame 140, or vice versa. The elastic element 1153 provides elastic force when at least one roller flexibly cooperates with the edge of the cam member 113. In some embodiments, at least one roller can roll and slide with the edge of the cam member 113. By setting the movable assembly with the elastic element, the first print head 112 and the second print head 114 can remain stable in their respective working positions, realizing a bistable print head assembly.

[0084] refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In some embodiments, at least one roller includes a first roller 1151 and a second roller 1152. By providing two groups of rollers, respectively matching the left and right cam portions on the cam member 113, the sliding distance of the rollers can be reduced, or in other words, the size of the rollers can be made larger under the same sliding distance, thereby increasing the area of ​​the matching surface and improving the matching reliability.

[0085] The movable assembly 115 may further include a connecting member 1154. The connecting member has a first arm 1155 and a second arm 1156, which are respectively used to connect the first roller 1151 and the second roller 1152, and the first arm 1155 and the second arm 1156 are configured to be able to rotate around the central axis of the connecting member 1154. In some embodiments, the movable assembly 115 may directly form a rotating shaft for installing the elastic element 1153, so as to install the elastic element 1153.

[0086] exist Fig.10 In the example shown, the edge of the cam member 113 includes a first concave section 1131, a second concave section 1132, a third concave section 1133, a first convex section 1134 located between the first concave section 1131 and the second concave section 1132, and a second convex section 1135 located between the second concave section 1132 and the third concave section 1133.

[0087] See also Fig.10 Combined with Figure 6 , Fig.10 A schematic diagram showing the working process of the print head assembly of the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 The fastening mechanism shown in the figure includes the movable component 115 as an example to illustrate the cooperation between the first roller and the second roller of the movable component on the edge of the cam member 113.

[0088] exist Fig.10 In the leftmost view (a), the first support frame 120 is driven by the rotating mechanism to rotate relative to the second support frame 140 toward the second position, so that the first roller 1151 is engaged at the first concave section 1131, and the second print head 114 moves downward in the Z direction. At this time, the first print head 112 is in contact with the first blocking member 110, the second print head 114 is in the working position, and the output gear 1061 of the motor is in transmission connection with the second extrusion wheel, so that the printing material can be extruded from the nozzle of the second print head 114.

[0089] exist Fig.10 In the middle view (b), the first roller 1151 and the second roller 1152 are located in the second concave section 1132 of the cam member. The first support frame 120 is in the middle position between the first position and the second position, and the first print head 112 and the second print head 114 are not in the working position.

[0090] exist Fig.10 In the rightmost view (c), the first support frame 120 is driven by the rotating mechanism to rotate relative to the second support frame 140 toward the first position, so that the second roller 1152 is engaged in the third concave section 1133, and the first print head 112 moves downward in the Z direction. At this time, the second print head 114 is in contact with the second blocking member 111, the first print head 112 is in the working position, and the output gear 1061 of the motor is in transmission connection with the first extrusion wheel 104, so that the printing material can be extruded from the nozzle of the first print head 112.

[0091] In some embodiments, the contour shapes of the first concave section 1131 and the third concave section 1133 may be configured to be consistent with the outer contour shape of the roller.

[0092] In addition, Figure 2 and Figure 6 In the example, the second support frame 140 may also be provided with a second slide slot 1402 . The 3D printer 100 or 200 may also include a heat dissipation assembly 109 . The heat dissipation assembly includes: a heat dissipation frame 1091 , a fan 1092 and a rotating assembly, and the rotating assembly includes a shielding member 1093 and a rocker 1094 .

[0093] exist Fig.11In the example shown, the heat dissipation frame 1091 defines a heat dissipation channel 1095, and the heat dissipation channel 1095 is bifurcated at a portion close to the first print head 112 and the second print head 114 to respectively pass into the first print head 112 and the second print head 114. In some embodiments, when the fan 1092 disposed in the heat dissipation frame 1095 rotates, cooling air is generated and passed into the heat dissipation channel 1095, thereby further cooling the first print head 112 and / or the second print head 114.

[0094] exist Figure 2 and Figure 6 In the example, the shielding member 1093 is disposed in the heat dissipation channel 1095 and is configured to be able to rotate or slide around one end thereof to block the heat dissipation channel from passing into any of the bifurcated partial channels of the first print head and the second print head. In addition, one end of the rocker is pivotally and slidably connected to the second slide slot 1042, and the other end of the rocker is fixedly connected to the end of the shielding member 1093, so as to drive the shielding member 1093 to rotate around the end when the first support frame 120 rotates relative to the second support frame 140 around the rotation axis between the first position and the second position.

[0095] In such a design, the rocker is limited to drive the shielding member 1093 to swing in the heat dissipation channel 1095, so that the print head in the working position can be selectively cooled and dissipated according to whether the print head is in the working position, thereby improving the efficiency of the heat dissipation component and the utilization rate of the fan and reducing the cost.

[0096] It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships or dimensions that are based on the orientations or positional relationships or dimensions shown in the accompanying drawings, and these terms are used only for the convenience of description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0097] In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first", "second", "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the feature. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0098] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0099] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “above”, and “above” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “below”, “below”, and “below” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0100] This specification provides many different embodiments or examples that can be used to implement the present disclosure. It should be understood that these different embodiments or examples are purely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art can conceive of various changes or replacements based on the disclosure of the present specification, which should all be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. A 3D printer, characterized in that: include: a first print head and a second print head; a first supporting frame, the first supporting frame being used for mounting the first print head and the second print head; a second supporting frame, adapted to be pivotally connected to the first supporting frame, a rotation mechanism for connecting the first support frame and the second support frame, wherein the rotation mechanism is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis to allow the first support frame to rotate relative to the second support frame about the rotation axis between a first position and a second position, wherein the first print head is in a working position in the first position and the second print head is in a working position in the second position; and A fastening mechanism is installed between the first supporting frame and the second supporting frame, and is used to provide a locking force for the first supporting frame at the first position or the second position to keep the first supporting frame at the first position or the second position.

2. The 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fastening mechanism provides at least one spring force peak between the first position and the second position.

3. The 3D printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fastening mechanism includes an elastic member, and the elastic member includes a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other, the first end is connected to the second support frame, and the second end is connected to the first support frame, wherein when the first support frame rotates between a first position and a second position around the rotation axis relative to the second support frame, the first end or the second end can be deformed, wherein there is at least one position between the first position and the second position such that the deformation degree of the elastic member is greater than that of the first position and the second position.

4. The 3D printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotation axis is located above the elastic member and the lower ends of the nozzles of the first print head and the second print head.

5. The 3D printer according to claim 4, characterized in that: At the one position, the distance between the midpoint of the line connecting the first end and the second end and the rotation axis is d1, and the distance between the lower end of the nozzle of the first print head or the second print head and the rotation axis is d2, wherein the ratio of d1 to d2 is greater than 0.

4.

6. The 3D printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second supporting frame is provided with a first slide groove, the first slide groove has a first depth, and the first depth can be used to accommodate the main body of the elastic member.

7. The 3D printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic member is a torsion spring or a leaf spring, wherein at the first position or the second position, projections of the first end, the second end and the rotation axis in the rotation plane where the second supporting frame is located are not arranged collinearly.

8. The 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fastening mechanism comprises: a cam member, configured to be connected to one of the first supporting frame and the second supporting frame; Active components, including: at least one roller, configured to movably cooperate with an edge of the cam member, wherein the roller is connected to the other of the first support frame and the second support frame; and An elastic element provides elastic force when the at least one roller is movably engaged with the edge of the cam member.

9. The 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one roller is rollably and slidably engaged with the edge of the cam member.

10. The 3D printer according to claim 8, characterized in that: The at least one roller comprises a first roller and a second roller, and the movable assembly further comprises: The connecting member has a first arm and a second arm, respectively used to connect the first roller and the second roller, and the first arm and the second arm are configured to be able to rotate around a central axis of the connecting member.

11. The 3D printer according to claim 8, characterized in that: The edge of the cam member includes a first concave section, a second concave section, a third concave section, a first convex section located between the first concave section and the second concave section, and a second convex section located between the second concave section and the third concave section, wherein at the first position the second roller is engaged at the third concave section, and at the second position the first roller is engaged at the first concave section.

12. The 3D printer according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: Also includes: A first extrusion wheel and a second extrusion wheel are arranged on the first support frame and are used in conjunction with the first print head and the second print head respectively; as well as A motor is arranged in a middle area of ​​the second support frame, an output gear of the motor is drivingly connected to the first extrusion wheel at the first position, and an output gear of the motor is drivingly connected to the second extrusion wheel at the second position.

13. The 3D printer according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: Also includes: A first blocking member and a second blocking member, the first blocking member and the second blocking member are connected to the second supporting frame, the first blocking member contacts the first print head at the second position to block the printing material in the first print head from flowing out of the first print head, and the second blocking member contacts the second print head at the first position to block the printing material in the second print head from flowing out of the second print head.

14. The 3D printer according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The first support frame is provided with a first damping mechanism, and the second support frame is provided with a second damping mechanism cooperating with the first damping mechanism. The first damping mechanism and the second damping mechanism decelerate the first support frame during the rotation of the first support frame relative to the second support frame around the rotation axis between a first position and a second position.

15. The 3D printer according to claim 14, characterized in that: The cooperation between the first damping mechanism and the second damping mechanism is the cooperation between a sector gear or a rack and a gear damper, a shaft damper or a ball spring damper.

16. The 3D printer according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: At the first position or the second position, there is a height difference h1 between the first print head and the second print head, and h1 is between 10 mm and 50 mm.

17. The 3D printer according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The second support frame is provided with a second slide groove, and the 3D printer further includes a heat dissipation component, which includes: a heat dissipation frame, the heat dissipation frame defining a heat dissipation channel, the heat dissipation channel branching at a portion close to the first print head and the second print head to lead to the first print head and the second print head respectively; A fan, disposed in the heat dissipation frame, for generating cooling air and passing the cooling air into the heat dissipation channel when the fan rotates; A rotating assembly, the rotating assembly comprising: a shielding member disposed in the heat dissipation channel, the shielding member being configured to be able to rotate or slide around one end thereof to block the heat dissipation channel from passing into one of the bifurcated partial channels of the first print head and the second print head; A rocker, one end of which is pivotally and slidably connected to the second slide groove, and the other end of which is fixedly connected to the end of the shielding member, for driving the shielding member to rotate around the end when the first support frame rotates between the first position and the second position around the rotation axis relative to the second support frame.

18. The 3D printer according to claim 17, characterized in that: The 3D printer is provided with abutment parts in contact with the first support frame on both sides of the X axis, so that when the first print head or the second print head moves to both sides, the abutment parts push the first support frame to switch between the first position or the second position; or, A magnet is correspondingly arranged between the second support frame and the first support frame, and the suction force of the magnet at the first position or the second position is greater than 20N, or, one group of the magnets is arranged on the lower side or the hot end side of the second support frame, and the other group of the magnets is connected to the first support frame, or, the spacing distance between the magnets at the first position or the second position is 1mm-20mm; or, The first print head or the second print head at least comprises a nozzle, a hot end assembly and an extrusion mechanism, two sets of cutters are arranged between the hot end assembly and the extrusion mechanism, and rods connected to the cutters are also arranged, the rods are respectively arranged on the outside of the hot end assembly, and one or more of the elastic member or the output shaft or the matching plane of the motor are arranged between the first print head and the second print head; or, The first print head or the second print head moves in an XZ plane or an XY plane, and the abutting member of the cutter and the abutting portion have corresponding different Z-axis or Y-axis positions when abutting.

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